Central Otago's principal rural fire officer, Owen Burgess, said a succession of hot, dry days, followed by strong southerly winds yesterday, meant the fire risk would have to be reassessed in the next few days. It was likely the current restricted fire season would be replaced by a total fire ban.
"Day by day, the risk is getting higher and there's no relief in sight. If it carries on like this, we'll have no choice but to declare a prohibited fire season. And the forecast is for more hot weather ahead," he said.
The fact conditions are dry was illustrated yesterday when a spark from a tractor-towed mower ignited grass on a rural property in Letts Gully Rd, near Alexandra. The Alexandra and Clyde volunteer fire brigades attended the fire, together with the rural fire service, and brought it under control quickly, after about 10sq m of vegetation was burned.
Alexandra Chief Fire Officer Russell Anderson said four days of high temperatures, followed by the southerly wind, left the area parched.
Letts Gully Rd, on the outskirts of Alexandra, contains several stands of mature pine trees.
"The potential for it [the fire] to take hold was high, because things are so dry, but fortunately the landowner was vigilant and spotted the fire early and dealt to it before the brigade got there, so the damage was limited, " Mr Anderson said.
Mr Burgess said there was "a heap" of vegetation in the district which would fuel any fire.
